Currently, image sensor packages include an image sensor encapsulated by ceramic packaging. The image sensor collects charge in response to incident light for creating an electronic representation of an image. A window made of glass covers the image sensor for permitting the incident light to be received by the image sensor. The glass is aligned to the substrate, and epoxy is applied and then cured for approximately one hour.
Although the currently known and used packaging is satisfactory, it includes drawbacks. Aligning the glass to a substrate and then curing the epoxy takes approximately one hour. This step would be essentially eliminated by the present invention, and the present invention would also eliminate the need for optical glass, which would ultimately save money. The yield of devices would also increase because many misalignment and cracking of the glass happens during the assembly process. The present invention would also reduce time and provide easy assembly requirements.
It is also noted that the cost of using ceramic packaging is also very expensive because of the material cost and complexity of the process. The present invention eliminates the need for ceramic by substituting less expensive plastic. Plastic is lighter than ceramic and the cost is much lower. Plastic offers a high volume production capability and low manufacturing cost. Plastic packages can be made with very consistent quality since all the packages are derived from the same mold cavity.